The Journey of a Wielder
by TranscodeNightCat
Summary: A boy is now starting his journey. The idea of just being a trainer was his original plan, but now he is a Wielder, someone who can wield the power of legendary Pokemon through stones imbued with their powers. This is his journey to collect and wield these stones commonly referred to as Power Stones. Along the way there will be challenges, enemies, and maybe friends.
1. Chapter 1

A boy ran down the streets of a small village with an Emolga gliding beside him. Others watched as he entered a small house at the end of the street; it belonged to the village elder. As the boy entered through the gate and the front door, an elderly woman sitting at a table in the dining room greeted him. "Aaron, tea?" She asked pouring herself a cup.

"Yes, please." He said taking a seat. His Emolga climbed on to the table and stood nearby its partner. He instinctively ran his fingers through the mess of short brown hair on his head.

"And I suppose that you want something too?" She smiled filling a small dish with tea and setting it in front of the Emolga along with a biscuit. She pet its head before it began dipping its biscuit in the tea and began to nibble.

"He usually isn't that fond of others." Aaron said sipping his tea.

"He knows who he needs to respect. Just like you. It's amazing how Pokémon pick up the personalities of their trainers." She smiled grabbing her cup with two hands and taking a sip. "But that's not what we're here to talk about. We're here to talk about you wanting to go on a journey, again."

"You keep telling me that I can't. Why not?"

"The one that you have in mind is not for you. Going around challenging gyms to be a Pokémon master, it is something that you are not meant for."

Aaron finished his tea and set the cup on the table. "I'm getting really sick of you telling me that I can't. What if I can? What if you're wrong?"

"Aaron, I never said that you couldn't do it. I said that you shouldn't do it. In fact, I have no doubt in my mind that you could be a Pokémon master."

"Then why can't I do it?" Aaron's fist tightened while his Emolga looked up from its tea.

"I have something better in mind for you. First, I want you to take a trip to the mountain's peak. I've already talked to the guards. You're cleared to go. After you reach the shrine at the top, you can go on your journey or you can take a different one. I have no real control over your life." She stood up and collected the cups from the table. Aaron walked out the door with his Emolga on his shoulder.

…

Aaron walked passed the guards with his bag over his shoulder. His Emolga was resting in a pouch in his bag while he started walking up the path. He walked for what felt like hours until something ran by. Aaron whipped around as his Emolga climbed out of the bag to get a view of what was happening. Standing on one of the boulders was an Absol. It looked at Aaron and growled before running off down the hill. He then turned to his Emolga. "Something's coming. We need to find shelter." Aaron started to run with what little energy he had left as the sky above began to darken and the first few drops of rain had begun to fall. Soon enough the light drops had turned into a heavy downfall. Aaron continued to run with his Emolga clinging to his shoulder until they reached a cave.

His Emolga shook itself off getting water everywhere. "I guess that we need to chill out here until the rain stops." He shivered a little bit walking deeper into the dark, cold cave. Deeper into the cave, Aaron could make out a light that he kept moving closer to. Then he saw the Litwick that was the source of light and some warmth. "That thing is going to kill us by draining our life." Aaron backed away slowly only for the Litwick to get closer to him, it wanted him to follow it. It then pointed to another source of light down one of the paths of the cave. It started to move forward again expecting Aaron to follow it. He let out a small sigh following the Pokémon down the path.

They stopped in a den that had a couple of mats on the floor, a fire, several pieces of furniture, and several devices around the room. "Litwick, I see that you brought guests." A man sitting at the table smiled, his hair was long and purple. "I'm Alva." He said approaching Aaron. He examined him carefully. "You're soaking, come sit by the fire and warm up. I'll get some blankets." He disappeared into the cave and returned with a blanket that he draped over Aaron. "My Gengar should be back with some berries soon." A Pokémon jumped from the ceiling startling Aaron. "We have guests. Be nice to them." Aaron took notice of the Pokémon's odd coloring before returning to warming his hands by the fire.

"Thank you for everything, but I have a question. What are you doing in this cave?"

"Well, I've made some mistakes in my past, and I've found that some time alone is better for me to think and try to do some good for this world. I bring in clean water from one of the streams, I help injured Pokemon out here, and I get to repay my debt to society, and a friend that I've hurt." He turned to his Gengar rubbing its back. He shed a tear before regaining his composure. "I'm sorry. I never got your name."

"Aaron." He responded.

"Well Aaron, what are you doing in the mountains? Especially during a storm like this?" Alva looked at him with concern. He then grabbed two mugs and went to a kettle hanging over the fire.

"I'm on a quest from my village elder. I have to reach the peak's shrine and then I get to go on my journey."

"And what is your journey?" Alva asked sitting at the table setting a mug of tea in front of Aaron.

"Go around challenging gyms to be a Pokemon master I think,"

"You think?" Alva chuckled a little bit. "What's your doubt?"

"The elder thinks that there's something better waiting for me at the peak."

"Don't disrespect your elders. They've been around for a bit, and they tend to know what's best. For some, a journey is a walk to the store to buy bread. It just depends."

"I'm not meant to buy bread."

"I sensed that when you walked in. And so did my Litwick. That's why it brought you to me. Feel free to wait out the storm in here. We'll go to the mountain peak together once the weather clears."

"Thank you." Aaron sipped his tea continuing to chat with Alva.

The storm continued into the next day. Aaron slept on one of the mats during the night. Now, he sat across from Alva playing a game of checkers. "You win this time. It looks like we're back in a draw. Another game?"

Aaron nodded his head starting to put the pieces back into place. "So what did you do to wind up here?" Aaron looked up at Alva.

"I corrupted my vision of a better future with greed and power. I hurt friends I cared for deeply and several other innocent people and Pokémon."

"What did you do to him?" Aaron pointed to the Gengar munching on several berries.

"I used inventions for evil. I forced him to mega evolve without his consent. Every time I think about it, I always think of pain and suffering that I caused and can never take away." His fist tightened as he shed a few tears. His Gengar quickly moved to his master's side. "I'm fine. I just wish I could take away the pain I caused you." His arms were wrapped tightly around the Pokémon. "It's why I promised never to force you to battle again."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up." Aaron scratched his Emolga behind the ears as he finished setting up the game.

The rain eventually cleared as Aaron stepped outside into the sunlight. Alva followed behind supporting himself with a hiking stick. His Gengar followed lurking close to the ground to shade itself. "Have you seen the shrine before?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, many times. It's quite beautiful." Alva responded continuing to follow behind Aaron.

The group continued to walk for a bit longer until they finally reached the peak. The sun was setting in the distance. "There's the shrine." Aaron said walking over to the chipped stone structure.

"Aaron, glad to see that you made it." The elder smiled stepping out from behind the shrine. "Why don't you open it up and see what's inside."

She stepped aside and watched Aaron approach the structure. She watched him open the wooden doors and reach inside where he retrieved an old thin book. "What's this?"

"Your journey. That is an ancient book wielded by powerful trainers of long ago. They are gifted with the ability to wield the powers of legendary Pokémon. I have been led to believe that you are one of those trainers. Open that book if you would like to find out."

Aaron held the book in his hand carefully. He took notice of the old leather and gold etching before opening the book to a blank page. Words magically appeared on the page in front of him.

"So you are one." The elder smiled as she watched Aaron read.

 _Time for your journey to begin. To a land where time and space clash distorting the world around it. This is where the Judgement Stone is._

"Judgement stone?" Aaron asked.

"Oh, a powerful Power Stone blessed by Arceus. The strongest of all the Power Stones. It's something that all Wielders aspire to obtain."

"So where do I go?" Aaron asked.

"Sinnoh, It's where your journey must begin. Most Wielders don't start there though. Perhaps there are bigger plans in motion." She smiled at him warmly. "Go, you have a journey to start, if you want it."

"I do." Aaron said closing the book and putting it in his bag.

"A Wielder needs better gear than this. I have a friend in Oreburgh who can help you. I'll do whatever I can to help you with your journey."'

"Thank you Alva." The elder and Aaron said at the same time.

"I need to get going now." Aaron waved at them before heading back down the mountain path into the sunset.

"Do you think that he'll make the right choices?" The elder asked.

"It's hard to say." Alva put an arm over her shoulder and looked at his Gengar who smiled a little bit.


	2. Chapter 2

A plane touched down in Hearthome City, and Aaron stepped off with his bag over his shoulder. He opened his bag and pulled out the old book. He opened it hoping for answers only to be met with blank pages. He closed it and put it away stepping on to a bus heading to Floaroma Town. He sat up front watching the bus move down the road where it first stopped in Eterna City. The bus driver waited until everyone finished getting off before turning to him. "Kid, isn't this your stop? You don't look like someone who's looking for a little flower town."

"At the moment, I am." Aaron responded. The bus started up again and continued driving until it stopped in the small town. Aaron was the only one to step off the bus which turned around and drove off towards Eterna City once more with new passengers aboard.

"Welcome to Floaroma town!" Someone said excitedly causing the eleven-year-old boy to whip around. "Are you here for the flower festival?"

Aaron got a better look at the person talking to him. It was a girl that appeared to be his age, maybe a little older. She wore a bright yellow t-shirt and a white skirt; in her hand was a basket of flowers. "No, I'm on my way to Oreburgh City."

"Are you sure? It's going to be a lot of fun."

"I'm on a bit of a schedule."

"Well, you're not going to get to Oreburgh City tonight. It's already getting late. If you want, you can stay at my house tonight. My parents love having guests."

"What's the catch?"

"You will at least consider coming to the flower festival tomorrow. It really will be a lot of fun."

"Fine."

"Don't make it sound like I'm torturing you. Now, let's get to my house." She started walking away with Aaron following behind her. She walked inside a small house with Aaron. "Mom, dad, I'm home. I got the flowers." Two people walked into the room. They looked at Aaron.

"It looks like you brought something else home." Her mother said nodding to Aaron.

"I can go." Aaron responded heading for the door.

"Nonsense." The man said stopping Aaron. "If Daisy brought you home, there's something special about you."

"Nothing special, I'm just passing through."

"Where are you from, son?"

"Unova."

"Bit far from home." He said looking Aaron over again.

"I'm on a journey."

"Are you going to challenge the gyms around the region?" Her mother asked.

"No, it's something else."

"Daisy, why don't you show Aaron to his room?" Her mother said walking off to the kitchen.

"It's just upstairs." She said walking with Aaron behind her. "Bathroom's over there, your room is here, my room is right across from yours and my parents' room is the one at the end of the hall. I'll leave you to get settled. I have to go help my mom with dinner."

"Thank you." Aaron said walking into his room and closing the door. He sat down on the bed and called out his Emolga. "Let's check the book." He grabbed the book from his bag and flipped it to a blank page.

 _Sometimes a path diverges, but somehow you still reach your final destination._

Aaron closed the book. "I guess we're going to hang out here for a little bit." His Emolga smiled climbing up his shoulder and nuzzling him. Aaron smiled scratching it behind the ears. There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

"Dinner's ready." Daisy smiled. "Oh, who's this?" She walked over to the Pokémon who moved to avoid her hand.

"She's okay." The Pokémon nervously approached her, but quickly backed away again. "Sorry, Emolga doesn't really like people that much."

"I get it. Maybe he can get to know my Pokémon a bit better." She pulled out her pokeball. "Say hi to Combee." Aaron's Emolga jumped off him somewhat eager to meet the Pokémon. The Combee hovered around the Emolga playfully. Aaron's Emolga seemed interested in it. "We should go down for dinner now."

"Do we leave them?"

"No, they should come down with us. They need to eat too." Aaron nodded his head as his Emolga climbed on his shoulder and they walked downstairs.

"I hope you're hungry." Daisy's mother said setting a big bowl of pasta on the table. "Help yourself." She smiled taking her place and piling some vegetables on her plate.

"So, where are you headed?" Daisy's father asked looking at Aaron who put some pasta on his plate.

"Oreburgh City." Aaron responded.

"Any reason in particular?"

"I have to pick something up." Aaron responded. He looked over to see his Emolga eating some Pokémon food next to Daisy's Combee. "So what happens at the flower festival exactly?"

"It's just a fun celebration of our lush little town. There's good food, dancing, costumes, music, it's just a good time." Daisy's mother answered.

"It sounds fun." Aaron said starting to eat in between bits of conversation.

After dinner, Aaron started to help clear the table only for Daisy's mother to stop him. "You're our guest dear. Go relax."

"I'm just used to doing my share."

"Not a bad quality to have, but in this case, it's not necessary." She smiled shooing Aaron away when there was a knock at the door. "Who could that be at this hour?" She opened the door to see a deliveryman. "Can I help you?"

"I have a package here for an Aaron fellow. I was told that he came here."

"That's me." Aaron said walking over.

"Just sign here." He handed Aaron a tablet and a pen. He gave his signature before being handed the package and a note. He saw the express sticker on the side of the box.

Aaron tore open the envelope and read the note to himself.

 _Hello Aaron,_

 _It's Alva here. It came to my attention that you may be in Floaroma Town for the flower festival and I thought that this would be a nice gift. I found it during one of my walks, and I've been keeping it safe. Hopefully it hatches in time. Anyway, I hope that all is well in your world._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Alva_

"What is it?" Daisy's mother asked as her husband and daughter walked into the room.

Aaron opened the box and pulled out a cylindrical container. "It's an egg."

"Do you know what it is?" Daisy asked.

"No, he just told me it was for the flower festival. I'm going to go put it away." Aaron said taking the container upstairs with him.

Aaron put the container by his bed and sat down on it staring at the egg. There was a knock at the door. "Can I come in?" Daisy's father asked opening the door a little.

"Yeah, come in." Aaron said moving over on the bed for him to sit down. Her father moved the backpack; it tipped over and the book fell out.

"Where did you get this?" He asked picking up the book.

"My village elder gave it to me." Aaron said taking it back.

"Stay right there." He stood up and walked out of the room. Aaron heard something fall and the creaking of weight being put on wood. He walked back into the room with an old leather bag in his hand. "My grandfather told me a lot of stories as a child that he said were all true."

"About?" Aaron asked.

He let out a small sigh and let a small smile appear on his face. "He would tell me stories about people fighting each other. He said that they could throw punches made of lightning, whip up storms of fire, and break mountains down. I always thought he was just entertaining me. Then Daisy was born. I hadn't seen that man move in twenty years, and yet, he showed up at the hospital, waiting for me. He gave me an old leather bag and said that it was Daisy's journey. I looked inside and found an old leather book and a sharp blade dangling from a long chain. Can you tell me what that means?" He opened the bag showing Aaron the items. The metal chain and blade were a very dark colored metal; its luster was still there.

"It sounds like he knew what he was doing."

"And you don't?" Daisy's father asked alarmed.

"I don't." Aaron responded. "I was given the choice to go on my journey and I said yes. Now I'm running around an unfamiliar region taking vague instructions from an old book."

"And that doesn't scare you?"

"No, it was my choice, so I can't complain." He looked at the bag. "So does Daisy know about this?"

"She does not, and I would like to keep it that way. And honestly, you being here makes me feel like I have no say in the matter."

"I won't say anything to her."

"Thank you." He smiled picking up the bag and walking to the door. He turned around and looked at Aaron. "Good talk." He said walking off.

…

The sun was close to being gone as hanging paper lanterns were lit. Bowls and plates of food were set on the tables. A band began to play, and people started to walk to the meadow clearing. Aaron was waiting outside the house for Daisy who came out wearing a flower-patterned kimono.

"Come on. It's already starting." She ran ahead a little while Aaron caught up to her. He had the egg in his hands. Earlier in the day, he felt it move and decided it best to keep an eye on it. They walked under a large wooden gate where two girls were waiting at the end.

"Hey Daisy, who's your boyfriend?" One of them asked smiling as they put a flower in her hair and a bracelet on each wrist.

"Guys, Aaron's not my boyfriend. He's just in town for the night." She laughed a little watching the other put a flower wreath on Aaron's head.

"Are you guys going to do the double battle together?"

"I don't know. Are we?" She asked looking at Aaron.

"We can." He said unaware that there was going to be a battle.

"Great, I'll sign you guys up. Until then, go have some fun." One of her friends said writing something down on a ticket.

As they walked into the festival, Daisy's mother walked over to them. "Kids, let your Pokémon out to have some fun. There's plenty of food as well." She walked off to go talk to someone.

"Come on out, Combee!" Daisy said calling out her Pokémon.

"Have some fun, Emolga." Aaron said tossing his pokeball. He watched it run off to go play with Daisy's Combee. The egg in his hand moved a little. "Shouldn't be long now." Aaron walked to one of the tables with Daisy.

"All the food here is really good." She said handing Aaron a plate. "Let's go sit with my friends." Aaron walked with her to a picnic table where her friends were all sitting, talking, and eating. "Guys, this is Aaron."

"Hey." He said sitting down with Daisy. Her friends introduced themselves while others gave shy hellos.

"Daisy, are we going to battle together?" A boy asked.

"Sorry, I already told Aaron that I was going to battle with him."

"It's okay. Cassie, do you want to be my partner?" The girl he was looking at smiled nodding her head. "Awesome, maybe we'll get to battle each other."

"Maybe." Daisy smiled a little eating some of her food. Aaron looked over to his Emolga who was playing with some of the other Pokémon. He watched someone bring them all plates of food.

…

Several people finished setting up the battlefield which was lined with flowers.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Daisy asked standing next to Aaron.

"I haven't battled on a field like this before." Aaron said as his Emolga ran on to the field. The egg on the ground next to him was glowing a little. "It's going to hatch soon."

"That's great. Maybe it'll get to watch us battle." Daisy said as her Combee flew on to the field. Their opponents called out a Mothim and a Kricketune.

"Battle begin." A woman said waving a fan.

"Kricketune, use bide!"

"Mothim, tackle his Emolga!"

"Combee, use gust on her Kricketune!"

"Emolga, follow behind Combee with your acrobatics!" The gust hit the Kricketune; it remained still growing red. Aaron's Emolga hurdled past the Mothim who could not keep up as it rammed the Kricketune rendering it unconscious.

"Kricketune is unable to battle."

"Let's finish off Mothim." Daisy said. "Combee, bug bite."

"Emolga, shockwave!"

"Mothim, protect!"

"Emolga, shockwave one more time!"

"Combee, bug bite!" The Mothim evaded the bug bite only to be met by the shockwave. It fell to the ground.

"Mothim is unable to battle. Aaron and Daisy advance to the next round."

"You did great." Daisy told her Combee who nuzzled her affectionately.

"You did well too." Aaron said as his Emolga climbed on to his arm and nuzzled him affectionately.

The two of them won battle after battle together until they were in the final round. Daisy's friends were their opponents.

"Good job on the battles." Cassie said waving. "But you won't beat us."

"We'll see about that." Daisy retorted. Aaron and Daisy called out their Pokémon. Daisy's friends called out a Cherrim and a Wormadam.

Aaron was distracted looking over at the egg. "It's hatching!" He said removing it from the container. He held it in his hands watching the shell crack. When the Pokémon finally emerged, Aaron found himself staring at a Sewaddle who stared right back at him. "Hey there." He smiled. The Pokémon extended its feelers to Aaron. He extended his head allowing the Pokémon to touch him. It let out a small cry of joy as it nuzzled him. "I guess I should catch you." Aaron smiled pulling a pokeball out of his pocket. He watched it touch its head to the ball and be sucked inside. The ball rattled for a few seconds before it was captured. Aaron called it out. "You can watch us battle." The Pokémon smiled standing next to him.

"Are you ready?" The woman asked. Aaron nodded his head. "Final battle, begin!"

"Cherrim, sunny day!" A ray of sunshine hit the field causing the Pokémon's petals to bloom.

"It's beautiful." Daisy said admiring it.

"It's also stronger now." The boy said nodding to it.

"Emolga, shockwave." Aaron instructed. It hit the Cherrim. It shook a little as its body tightened up. "It's paralyzed." Aaron said smiling a little bit.

"Cherrim, are you okay?" It gave a small nod standing tough.

"Wormadam, razor leaf!" It spun around unleashing a wave of sharpened leaves.

"Emolga, dodge them."

"You too Combee, and be sure to give them a taste of your bug bite." A few leaves hit Aaron's Emolga knocking it to the ground. It stood up shaking itself off a little bit. The Wormadam cringed experiencing a searing pain from Combee's bug bite.

"Finally, a real battle." Aaron smiled. "Emolga, acrobatics."

"Cherrim, counter with solar beam!"

"Combee, use gust on Wormadam!"

"Wormadam, confusion!" Daisy's Combee picked up speed dodging the attack and unleashing a blast of wind on the Wormadam with an intense fire in its eyes. The Cherrim absorbed sunlight quickly with the field still being illuminated by sunny day. It shot out a blast of energy knocking his Emolga to the ground.

"Wormadam is unable to battle."

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked. It began to stand up; it still had some fight left in it.

"Cherrim, solar beam once more!"

"Emolga, shockwave." It nodded its head leaping high into the sky and unleashing a blast of electricity. The attack pierced through the solar beam and knocked the Cherrim to the ground.

"Cherrim is unable to battle. The winners of this year's flower festival battle are Aaron and Daisy!"

"Good job." Aaron smiled at his partner. It walked up to the Sewaddle and introduced itself. They touched heads exchanging feelings with each other.

"You were great." Daisy told her Combee. "So were you." She said turning to Aaron.

"You and Combee were amazing out there."

"Thanks. It's almost time for the fireworks. Do you want to go watch?"

"Yeah." Aaron said walking off with her. They sat on a blanket watching the fireworks be launched into the sky. Aaron held the Sewaddle in his arms while his Emolga sat next to him on the blanket. "Having fun?" He asked his partner. He nodded his head while Aaron scratched it behind the ears.

…

The next morning, Aaron had his bag over his shoulder as he waved goodbye to Daisy and her family. Her father gave Aaron a look that he responded to with a firm nod before walking off.


	3. Chapter 3

It was early in the afternoon when Aaron walked down the sidewalk of Jubilife City. He was expected to arrive to Oreburgh City early in the evening. There was a large white building that was full of people. Several of them wore blue polo shirts with a pokeball printed on the front of each one; they seemed to be helping customers. Aaron looked into the glass window and saw the inside of the modern looking store. Someone saw him and waved him inside. Reluctantly, he walked inside the building.

"Looking for a Pokétch? They're all the rage." The woman smiled motioning for him to look around the room.

"Would you mind if I saw one first?"

"Of course. We have a demo counter over here." She led him over to a bar table where several people were already trying on Pokétch. "Just try one on and see if you like it."

Aaron picked one of the watches off the counter and held it in his hand. He looked at some of the applications on it. "Not interested." He hopped off the counter ready to leave the store.

"Any reason you don't want a Pokétch?" A man asked holding a clipboard in his hand ready to take notes.

"It's not worth my while or the trouble." Aaron walked out of the store. His Emolga popped its head out of his bag and said something. "Technology complicates things. Besides, I have my book and my best friend to guide me and help me on my journey." He smiled scratching it behind the ears. "Get comfy. We have a bit of a walk before we get to Oreburgh City."

He was just at the edge of the city when a boy ran up to him. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you a trainer?"

"Technically." Aaron responded.

"Good. That means we can have a battle."

"I don't have time." Aaron stepped forward only to have his path blocked by the boy.

"Battle me."

Aaron looked into his bag. "You up to battle?" His Emolga nodded his head hopping out of the bag. "One on one, right here, right now. I don't have time to go to a battlefield." He dropped his bag on the ground and stretched out a little bit. "Emolga, let's do this, fast." His Emolga nodded its head.

"Chimchar, you're up." The boy smiled tossing his pokeball. "Where are you from? I haven't seen an Emolga before."

"Unova, are you going first?"

"You can since you're in a hurry."

Aaron smiled a little bit at the boy's statement. "Emolga, acrobatics!"

"Chimchar, protect!"

"Quick thinking. Emolga, iron tail. Don't let up." His Emolga's tail glowed growing hard. It jumped up high ready to strike the Chimchar.

"Protect again!" The protect was weaker, but on the second strike, the Chimchar fell back.

"You need to tell it to dodge as well. Electro ball, full strength." His Emolga began charging a large sphere of electricity. It hurled it at the Chimchar.

"Chimchar, dodge it with flame wheel." The Pokémon nodded its head and ran engulfed in flames dodging the attack and striking the Emolga to the ground.

"Impressive." Aaron smiled a little bit. "Acrobatics once more."

"Let's go on the offensive too. Use thunder punch!" The Pokémon charged at each other. Both of them had fire in their eyes. A large cloud of smoke formed from the collision. When it vanished, Aaron's Emolga was still standing; Chimchar laid on the ground unconscious. "Chimchar, return." The boy sighed recalling his Pokémon.

"That was a good battle." Aaron smiled. "Just keep training. That's how I got to be where I am, and I'm not stopping." He opened his bag and let his Emolga hop inside before putting it over his shoulder and walking off.

"I will. I promise!" The boy shouted waving him off.

"Let's get to Oreburgh City." He scratched his Emolga behind the ears.

 _…_

The sun outside was just setting when Aaron entered the city. He walked down the street of an older district all the way to the end. An old sign hung above his head with a faded picture of a sword on it. Aaron knocked on the door. He heard metal clatter. The door creaked open; a younger man ushered him inside. Aaron took notice of the soot on his face and clothing and the brown apron he wore.

"Alva sent me." Aaron said watching the door close behind him. The room was dimly lit, but swords, armor, and other weapons and items clearly decorated the walls.

"Yes, my mentor is expecting you. I'm his apprentice. Come along." He walked behind the counter and behind a closed curtain. Aaron followed him. Behind the curtain, Aaron saw a man hammering a heated piece of metal on an anvil. "Sir, this is the Wielder, Aaron."

The man gave the metal one more hit before sitting it in a pool of water that erupted into steam. He removed his gloves and his mask. "Alva's boy! I'm Trevor." He smiled giving Aaron a hug.

Aaron pried him off and brushed off some of the soot on his clothes. "Do you have my gear?"

The man smiled nervously turning around. "Unfortunately, I do not. You see, your armor requires a special metal that I currently do not have."

"Can't you just give me something off the rack?" Trevor scowled hitting Aaron on the head. "What the heck?"

"Young man, as a Wielder, you must learn not to take shortcuts. That armor is for customers and is not fit for someone like you." He pointed to a bin of broken molds. "After every creation I make, I break the mold because I believe in no shortcuts and quality over quantity."

"So you want me to get the metal?"

He smiled. "Indeed." He grabbed a book off the table and opened it to the page he was looking for. He held the book up to Aaron. There was a picture of what looked like a large egg. "This is the metal. It's found in a secret cavern on Iron Island. It's so durable, so flawless, so flexible, and so lightweight. It's perfect for a Wielder like you."

"How do I get to Iron Island?" Aaron asked rubbing his head in frustration.

"There should be someone in Canalave City who can take you there. Before you go though, you can stay here tonight."

"Anything else?" Aaron asked still a bit frustrated.

"I need to take your measurements. While you're out gathering the material, I can make your molds." Trevor grabbed a measuring tape and a notebook. He measured Aaron from head to toe recording everything in the notebook. When he was finished, he closed it. "All done."

"Great, I'm going to the Pokémon center for a little bit." Aaron grabbed his bag and walked off.

"Is he okay?" The apprentice asked.

"He's fine. He just needs to blow off some steam." Trevor said grabbing the blade from the pool of water. He gave it a small swing and brought it over to a table. He grabbed a roll of leather and some other pieces and began finalizing the weapon.

 _…_

"Can you heal my partner?" Aaron sat his Pokémon on the counter.

"Yes, absolutely." Nurse Joy smiled while her Blissey grabbed his Emolga and walked off. "I'll call you when he's ready."

"Thank you." Aaron smiled briefly taking a seat on one of the couches. "Come out Sewaddle." The Pokémon crawled into his lap expecting affection that Aaron gave. "We're going to have to do some training at some point. There's no shortcut to getting strong." He smiled until he realized what he said and what Trevor told him. He sighed. Sewaddle looked to his master to see what was wrong. "It's fine. I just realized something."

A girl walked up to him watching him pet his Pokémon. "Do you and your Pokémon want to battle?"

"Sewaddle, do you want to battle? It will be good experience for you." It gave a nod and a determined look. "Let's do it." Aaron followed the girl outside to the battlefield. Aaron found his place and instructed his Sewaddle. "You stand on the field for the battle. I don't know your moves yet, so I'm going to trust you. Okay?" Sewaddle nodded its head.

"Go for it, Starly!" The girl threw her pokeball calling out the Pokémon.

"I'll go first. Sewaddle, attack!" It shot a stream of silk from its mouth. "String shot, nice."

"Starly, dodge and use peck." The string shot barely missed. Starly picked up speed charging Sewaddle.

"String shot, again!" Aaron watched it get tangled in silky string and fall to the ground. "Okay, Sewaddle, attack again." It gave Aaron a nod and ran forward tackling Starly who was still struggling to break free. "Tackle, noted."

"Starly, break free and use peck." It nodded its head emerging and flying high. It charged at the Sewaddle and sent it flying on to its back. "Starly, let's finish this with gust!"

"Sewaddle, if you have anything left, do it." Aaron watched Starly create a small burst of wind. It hurled it at Sewaddle who was concentrating. It let out a cry and a blast of wind. "Silver wind." Aaron watched the two winds collide and fizzle out into a cloud of dust.

Starly flew up high to regain its vision. "Starly, clear the dust and use peck!" Aaron watched it flap its wings and clear the dust. His Sewaddle was still trying to regain its vision. By the time it had, it was too late. Starly charged and Aaron watched his Sewaddle fall to the ground unconscious.

Aaron picked it up and held it in his arms. "You did great, especially for a first battle." It smiled at him. "Let's go get you patched up." He looked to his opponent. "Thank you for the battle." He walked inside and dropped off his Sewaddle.

Once all of his Pokémon were better, he left the Pokémon center and returned to Trevor's shop; it was night now. "Did you have a nice time out?" He asked seeing Aaron walk inside.

"Yeah, I'll go to Iron Island and get that metal tomorrow. Now though, I need to rest."

"Room upstairs, far right." Trevor instructed watching him walk upstairs.

 _…_

Aaron was up early the next morning. Trevor was making breakfast. "Early Starly gets the Burmy." He set down some eggs on the table for Aaron. "Eat up. You have a big day ahead."

"Any advice or gear you can give me?"

"Advice, be careful. Gear, I have a bag that should be able to carry the metal without tearing and an old pickaxe you can use."

"Let's get going then." Aaron cleared his plate and stood up. Trevor retrieved the items and handed them to Aaron. He put the empty canvas bag in his bag and holstered the rusty pickaxe to his back.

 _…_

A walk back through Jubilife City was less than pleasant for Aaron who was trying not to attract attention to himself. Then there was the under construction bridge to Canalave City; construction workers paid him no attention drilling and blasting while he walked through the dangerous area. Nonetheless, he made it to Canalave City early in the afternoon.

He saw a fishing boat preparing to leave and started running towards it. "Any chance you guys are headed towards Iron Island?"

"Sorry lad. We don't have time for stops." The fisherman got on the boat with his crew and set off.

Aaron tried another boat. "Sorry, but the Pokémon aren't biting up there." He tried boat after boat with no luck.

He walked off to a concession stand and bought a soda pop for himself, one for his Emolga, and one for his Sewaddle. "It doesn't look like we're getting to Iron Island anytime soon." He sat down on a bench and sat the other bottles next to him. His Emolga crawled out of his bag and opened it taking a sip. He let his Sewaddle out and opened the bottle for it. "Cheers." They clinked their bottles. Aaron set his bottle down and grabbed his book from his bag.

 _Good things come to those who wait._

"This book has been a fortune cookie lately." He closed it and put it away.

 _Meanwhile…_

Trevor sat at a desk. He crumpled up a piece of paper and tossed it aside. His apprentice walked in with a pot of tea. "Sir, what are you doing?"

"Trying to break the mold, do something original." He snapped his pencil in half and tossed it into the pile of discarded sketches.

His apprentice walked over and looked at the worktable. "If this armor needs to be light and flexible, why does the majority of it have to be metal?"

"There's an idea." He stood up and walked into the storage room without another word.

 _…_

A man walked down the street being greeted by several people recognizing him as Canalave City's Gym Leader, Byron. He waved and smiled at them. He took notice of Aaron sitting on the bench with his Pokémon. They were all on their second bottles now. He saw the pickaxe nearby and walked over out of curiosity. "Where are you headed young man?"

"I'm trying to get to Iron Island. Unfortunately, no one's headed my way."

"I can take you. I was headed there for some training. I have a cabin on the island."

"That would be great." Aaron stood up recalling his Sewaddle while his Emolga hopped into his bag.

"Where are you from young man?"

"Unova."

"A bit far from home to go mining."

"I'm going for something special." Aaron responded.

"Okay, let's get going. No use in waiting here to talk about it." He pointed to one of the boats docked in the harbor. Aaron nodded his head climbing aboard.

 _On the water…_

"Couple of waves." Byron chuckled watching the boat rock. Some water splashed aboard along with a Pokémon. "Just a Qwilfish. I can take care of it."

"No way, I've wanted one of these things since I was a kid. The aquarium back home had them. They were so cool. Emolga, let's go." It hopped from his bag ready to fight. The Qwilfish looked at him and then hopped back into the water.

"I guess it didn't want to battle." Byron chuckled putting an arm on Aaron's shoulder. "Don't feel bad. We're almost there."

Neither of them knew it, but the Qwilfish was keeping its distance behind the boat.

The sun was setting when they arrived on the island. Aaron stepped off noticing the entrance to the cave. "When you get out of there, just come to the cabin. We'll rest here tonight and go back tomorrow." Aaron nodded his head walking to the cave entrance.

He disappeared inside leaving Byron behind. "It's in a secret cavern." He mumbled to himself grabbing his flashlight. A few lanterns hung along the walls illuminating the path, but Aaron wanted to see everything and anything that might lead to the secret cavern. He walked around the cave for what felt like hours. It was when he came across a small pile of boulders that his book started to glow. He opened it only to be met with blank pages. He put it away and started moving the boulders out of his way until he could walk inside.

He walked inside the small cavern which was well lit. He turned off his flashlight and put it away. Sitting in the center of the room was the metal egg that Trevor had told him about. He picked it up and held it in his hands. The metal showed his reflection clearly. For the amount of metal that it was, it was light." He reached into his bag and pulled out the canvas bag and put it inside. "I don't know why he gave me the pickaxe if it was this easy." Aaron walked to the exit only to feel the ground rumbling beneath him.

One of the walls burst revealing a large Pokémon. Dots on its face blinked as it let out several noises. "Registeel." Aaron trembled dropping the bag to the ground. His book was glowing again. He grabbed it and read it.

 _Fight._

He closed it and put it away calling out his Emolga and Sewaddle. "Emolga, shockwave. Sewaddle, silver wind." Both Pokémon attacked while Registeel simply took the attacks taking very little damage. "Let's go." Aaron grabbed the pickaxe and charged swinging with all of his might not even making a scratch on it; the pickaxe broke. Registeel grabbed his arm and threw him against a wall. Aaron forced himself up. "Okay, have to do this smart. Sewaddle, use string shot to slow it down. Emolga, shock wave again." Aaron grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it at Registeel. "Bring it." Registeel did not hold back charging at Aaron with its superpower attack. He ducked to the side avoiding the attack. His Sewaddle covered its feet in sticky silk temporarily rendering it immobile while his Emolga shocked it. "Come on, let's try it again." He taunted Registeel. This time it used flash cannon damaging one of the walls sending rocks tumbling down; a few of them hit Aaron knocking him down. "I have an idea." Aaron grabbed the metal from his bag and hurled it at Registeel who grew enraged. Aaron knew something happened when he heard the loud clanging sound. It charged again with superpower hitting the wall sending rocks tumbling down on itself. "Sewaddle, seal it in with string shot." It covered the rocks in the sticky string binding them together. "Emolga, shock wave, just to be safe." Aaron's breathing grew heavy as his Emolga hit the rocks with a blast of electricity. Aaron grabbed the metal ready to leave the cavern.

Unfortunately, the rocks burst open and went flying. The blast knocked Aaron against a wall of the cave. "Emolga… shock wave, again and… again." Aaron said breathing heavily. He stood up and tightened his empty fist. Registeel took attack after attack until it fell to the ground. "The metal is… mine. I… can… leave." He spit out a little blood recalled his Pokémon and started to walk to the exit. Registeel did nothing to stop him. It only held up a hand letting a small bit of light escape. It floated over to Aaron who instinctively grabbed it. He looked in his hand to see a metallic, oval-shaped stone in his hand. "A power stone." He walked out of the cavern navigating his way out of the cave. Outside, he saw Byron standing by the cabin tending to a small campfire. "I did it." Aaron said dropping his stuff on the ground. His body shook exhausted. He fell off a small cliff into the water.

"Hang on!" Byron ran over to see where he fell. He saw the Qwilfish from earlier in the day swimming nearby. "Where is he?" Byron jumped in diving after Aaron. The Qwilfish led Byron to Aaron and helped him to drag the boy to shore.


	4. Chapter 4

Aaron's eyes opened slowly. Byron looked at him relieved. "You're awake. You scared me."

"Sorry, I was just really tired." He put a hand to his forehead feeling the cloth on it.

"So this is what you were looking for?" Byron pointed to the metal egg peaking from his bag. Aaron nodded his head. "Looks like you went through a lot to get it."

"I did." He reached into his still damp pocket and felt the stone inside it. "When can we head back?"

"I was waiting on you, but first you should thank that Qwilfish. It helped me get you out of there."

"Where is it?" He looked around.

"It's outside. It's waiting for you."

"Get the boat ready. I want to leave right after." He stood up slowly and walked outside. He saw the Qwilfish waiting by the shore. "You want to battle or you want me to catch you?" It growled at him shooting a few spikes on to the field. "Emolga, if you have any fight left, let's do it." He threw the pokeball and watched the Pokémon emerge. "Emolga, watch out for the spikes and give it a shockwave attack." Qwilfish jumped from the water dodging the attack; it rolled on to the ground. It started using bubble beam knocking his Emolga to the ground. The Qwilfish did not stop using rollout and ramming his Emolga repetitively. Aaron was thinking fast trying to save his Emolga. "Iron tail, on the ground!" The Pokémon complied slamming its tail down sending rocks flying and Qwilfish back. "Let's end it with acrobatics." Emolga nodded its head jumping up high and maneuvering quickly before hitting Qwilfish. "Pokeball, go." He threw the object and hit the Qwilfish; it was absorbed into the pokeball. It rattled for a few seconds before being captured. "Emolga, return." He recalled his Pokémon. He retrieved the pokeball from the ground hearing the boat start up.

"Let's go." Byron called out to him. Aaron nodded his head climbing aboard the boat. He leaned against the side of the boat intending to rest for a little bit; his body was tired.

Soon enough, they made it back to Canalave City. Aaron thanked Byron before heading to the Pokémon Center. "My Pokémon need to be healed." He set the three pokeballs on the counter.

"Of course. Just take a seat and I'll call you when they're ready." Nurse Joy took the tray and walked to the back of the center.

Aaron took a seat in the lobby relaxing a little bit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the stone. The dark, metallic coloring was intriguing. He held it in his hand feeling the smooth metallic texture. He kept playing with it in his hand. _Show me your power._ He focused deeply on the stone watching his hand become encased in steel. He quickly made the steel disappear realizing that he was not alone in the room. He put the stone away and heard a ding letting him know that his Pokémon were ready.

He grabbed his pokeballs and left the center. He headed back to Oreburgh City lugging the heavy metal with him. He constantly switched arms carrying the heavy metal. When he finally got to Trevor's shop, it was early in the evening, and Aaron was tired.

"You made it!" He smiled looking at the tired boy. "You have the metal?"

"Right here." He handed him the bag. "That pickaxe you gave me was nothing for the Registeel that attacked me." Aaron sighed tired from the quest.

"Sorry about that." Trevor scratched the back of his head. "I'll go melt this down and we can get started on that armor. This metal actually expands when you melt it, so there's more than it seems."

"Can I just rest? I'm really tired."

"Upstairs. I'll call you for dinner."

"Great." Aaron smiled walking upstairs. He laid down on the bed too tired to do anything else.

…

"Wake up!" It was early in the morning and Trevor was very excited. "Get up!"

"What?" Aaron grumbled rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Your armor is ready."

"Hold on. Let me wake up." Aaron yawned stretching out. He stood up and followed Trevor down the stairs. His apprentice stood nearby also excited. "So where's the armor?"

"Right here." Trevor grabbed some folded clothes and handed them to Aaron. "I sewed the metal into the fabric. That way it's still flexible. It covers a lot of vulnerable areas. Go put it on."

Aaron took it from him and unfolded the black jacket. He examined the metal bands sewn and bolted to it. He put it on stretching out feeling the metal stretch and conform to his body. He saw that the jacket also had a face guard. The rest of the outfit consisted of metal plates that he strapped to his legs for more protection. He then picked up a pair of black biker gloves that had holes in the knuckles.

"Those holes are for your power stones. One more piece." Trevor said grabbing a leather hilt. "Every Wielder has to have a weapon. You're not using your Pokémon to fight. You're fighting with them." Aaron unsheathed the sword from the hilt. "It's nice, right?"

"It's very nice." He sheathed the sword and put it over his back. He then placed the power stone he had in one of the slots. "Thanks for everything."

"So where are you headed now? Mount Coronet?"

"I actually thought it might be a good idea to get some more power stones. Do you know any legendary Pokémon that might be nearby?"

Trevor scratched the back of his head. "Lake Verity has a small cave. Mesprit is rumored to live there. You know the Sinnoh legend of the three lake Pokémon, Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit?"

"I heard it once as a child. It's kind of familiar." Aaron looked to the rising sun outside. "I'm going to get going now. Again, thanks for everything." He stood up and headed for the door saying goodbye once more as he walked outside heading for Lake Verity.

 _Meanwhile…_

Daisy was outside, in the meadow, picking flowers and berries that would be used for baking or making medicine. At times, she would pause to play with some of the wild Pokémon who greeted her eagerly each day.

Her Combee paused looking around. "What's wrong?" Daisy looked at it concerned. It hovered over near a tree. A Pokémon let out a startled cry running around eventually cowering behind Daisy. "You're okay. That's just Combee." She knelt beside the startled Pokémon who seemed a bit scared of her as well. She looked at the bushy green fur on the Pokémon's back and the flower it had in it. "You're a Shaymin." Daisy was shocked. "You hungry?" She pulled a few berries from her basket and held it out to the Pokémon. Nervously, it accepted the food. "I've never seen a Shaymin around here before." She pet it gently. Her Combee hovered nearby trying to befriend it. "I won't tell anyone that you're here." She smiled petting it some more. "I'm in the meadow every day. If you want to play in the mornings, I'm here."

"Shay!" The Pokémon cried excitedly curling up in her arms.

"I'll take that as a yes." She smiled at it.


	5. Chapter 5

Aaron stood at the edge of Lake Verity. He walked through the night to be there. He saw the cave formation resting in the center of the lake. Without another thought, he jumped into the water and started swimming; his Emolga sat on his back trying not to get wet. Aaron stood by the entrance to the cave a little tired, but he still had enough energy to fight as he unsheathed his sword. He looked at his Emolga. "Let's get it." He charged forward into the cave ready for a fight.

He halted his attack seeing a fainted Pokémon and a man standing over it. He ran behind a boulder hoping to hide.

The man did something to the Pokémon. He now held a power stone in his hand, brushed back a few strands of aqua colored hair, and placed it in a gold bracelet. "Come out of there. I know you are there."

Reluctantly, Aaron stepped out from behind the boulders. He held his sword in his hands ready to fight. The man started to laugh. "What's funny!?"

"You're new at this. I thought you were the other guy. I'll give you some credit for swimming here, but you have no chance of beating me."

"Emolga, shock wave!" Aaron called out as his Pokémon unleashed a blast of electricity.

The man merely held out his hand and swiped it to the side. "Like I said, no chance." Aaron ran at him swinging his sword. "Oh, come on." He flicked his finger throwing Aaron against a wall. He could not move. The man was holding him in place; the same went for his Emolga. "Now, let's see if there's anything special about you." He pried the sword from Aaron's hand. "This is a nice blade, armor too." He said feeling one of the metal plates on his jacket. "Look at that." He grabbed Aaron's wrist and saw the power stone in his glove. "That is beautiful. These are mine." He held up the gold bracelet showing two power stones dangling from charms; one charm remained empty. "I know what I'm doing may seem a bit unusual, but I'm sure after what you just saw, you can put two and two together and figure out where I'm headed next if you care to try and stop me. I'm even going to let you in on a secret. I'm cursed and that means I can't teleport with my incredible amount of psychic strength. However, I can teleport others. Consider it a head start." He began channeling his energy as the power stones glowed.

Aaron was blinded by the light. He felt hard concrete beneath him and opened his eyes to see it. He walked out of the alley he had landed in and walked around the city to get his bearings. It became apparent that he was in Hearthome City. He walked to the Pokémon Center and dropped off his Pokémon to be healed. "Can I get a copy of the map?"

"No problem." Nurse Joy smiled handing him one of the maps she kept at the front desk.

"Thank you." He walked over to the waiting area and took a seat. He grabbed the book from his bag and set it on his lap. Opening it, the pages glowed and filled with writing.

 _Three lakes, three power stones. The knowledge to reach this lake is in your grasp._

Aaron closed the book and put it in his bag. He saw a children's book sitting on the floor. He looked at the title. _The Three Marvelous Lake of Sinnoh_ Aaron instinctively opened the book and started reading. Towards the end of the book he found what he was looking for. Apparently there was a lake outside of Snowpoint City known as Lake Acuity. The book briefly mentioned a Pokémon that could wipe the memories of others or provide them with unknown knowledge from unknown lands. He set the book aside when he heard a ringing noise meaning that his Pokémon had been healed. He immediately ran to the front and grabbed his pokeballs. He called out his Emolga who climbed on to his shoulder. "Glad you're feeling better." He then looked at Nurse Joy and opened the map. "Can you tell me how to get to Snowpoint City?"

"Sure thing." Nurse Joy grabbed a pen. You need to go this way to get to Celestic Town which shouldn't be a bad walk. However, after you get through Mount Coronet, it's going to be cold."

"Thank you very much." Aaron grabbed the map and walked out of the Pokémon Center.


	6. Chapter 6

Solaceon town was quiet. It was late afternoon in the quiet farm town. Aaron walked down the quiet dirt road. No one bothered paying him any attention; his clothing was too strange for their tastes. His Emolga was napping inside his bag. Aaron left the town without much exploration or thought; he looked at his map before proceeding forward. As he walked further, fog started to form around him. The farther he walked, the denser the fog became. _Just keep walking. Don't let the fog get to you or mess with your head._ "Emolga, I could use some light." He nudged the Pokémon who started crackling with electricity. _Makes me wish I had a fire type;_ it probably would not have made that much of a difference _._ Aaron signaled to his Pokémon to stop seeing no effect as he continued walking. He had no idea of the direction he was heading; all he knew was that it was constant. He could hear Pokémon cries ahead. He walked cautiously reaching for his sword holding it in his hand ready for whatever lied ahead. Luckily, the fog had actually started to clear revealing a group of young children having a battle. Aaron quickly stowed the sword walking ahead of them realizing that he reached Celestic Town.

As he headed back for Mount Coronet, Aaron paused at the Celestic Ruins. He put his hands on one of the etchings. The book in his bag was glowing violently. He pulled it out of his bag and opened it only to be met with blank pages; it was confusing and concerning. Aaron put the book away. He looked around and saw an entrance to a cave. He stepped inside and was met with ruined pillars and columns. The walls were covered in etchings and old writing. Aaron continued walking stopping dead in his tracks as he reached the end wall. In front of him was two large murals, one of Palkia and one of Dialga, above them was one of Arceus. _Such power._ Aaron placed his hand on the etching of Arceus. His Emolga climbed on to his shoulder feeling the tenseness in his partner.

Without warning, a disc-shaped object hit the wall near Aaron. He instinctively drew his sword. He looked over at the wall. The object was a disc composed of three blades conjoined together curved into a disc shape; it looked like the blades had handles on them for gripping.

"Where is it!?" A person dressed in all black wearing a mask that covered his face. He wore black leather biker gloves which reached back grabbing for another of the large discs that was mounted to his back. He held it in one hand gripping it from behind. The blades appeared to be spinning. He jolted his hand forward making the blades spin faster.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Aaron gripped his sword tightly. His Emolga's cheeks crackled with electricity.

"What did you do to Azelf?"

"Who?" Aaron asked.

"I just got back from Lake Valor. Azelf was injured badly. It's currently being treated for your sick acts."

"I've never been to Lake Valor and I've never seen Azelf."

"I don't believe you!" He hurled the disc at Aaron who blocked it with his sword. The mysterious person grabbed the last disc on his back. "Croagunk, poison jab!" He threw his pokeball and ordered the attack. The Pokémon leapt into action aiming for Aaron.

"Emolga, acrobatics!" Aaron's Pokémon ran down his shoulder and jumped off his arm taking to the air as it darted around before nailing the Croagunk. Meanwhile, Aaron charged his attacker, their weapons locked.

"Nice blade." He turned his weapon catching Aaron's sword between the blades. With one sharp turn, they flipped Aaron on to his back. "It's not a match for me though." They leaned over Aaron. Aaron activated his Power Stone encasing his hand in steel. It took one punch to knock him against a wall. "We're using Power Stones now?" He reached under their shirt revealing a necklace with two visible Power Stones in it. One of his hands glowed with fire heating up the weapon in it. They charged Aaron spinning the heated weapon at him.

"Emolga, discharge!" The Pokémon unleashed a large blast of electricity stunning his opponent and the Croagunk.

"Milotic, hydro pump!" A voice shouted from the entrance to the cave. Both Aaron and his attacker were drenched and pushed against a wall. His attacker's mask fell off revealing the face of a boy about his age. They both looked to their surprise attacker, a girl dressed in black with long blonde hair. "I was told two suspicious characters were fighting in the ruins. Tell me your reason for being here before I blast you again." Her Milotic readied itself to attack again.

"Cynthia." The boy mumbled recovering from the attack. "Protecting the ruins from him." He mumbled coughing up some water. Aaron remained silent unsure of who Cynthia was or what she had in store for them.

She knelt in front of Aaron looking him directly in the eyes. "What were you doing in the ruins?"

Aaron's Emolga shook itself off and walked over to him plopping down on the floor. "Something…just drew me here. I need to get to Lake Acuity."

"You're not hurting Uxie." The boy next to him shot him a glare.

"That wasn't me. It was a blue-haired guy. I tried to stop him from hurting Mespirit." Aaron coughed up some more water.

"Let's get you two inside and dried off. We can talk about this more when you're feeling better." Cynthia called out a few more of her Pokémon who helped the boys off the ground and started walking them out of the ruins.

Aaron woke up jolted. His breathing was heavy and fast. He looked around the room and saw his clothes folded in a pile with his sword sitting nearby. He stood up after his breathing returned to normal and got dressed. He slipped on his gloves and sheathed his sword on to his back.

"I thought I heard you in here." Cynthia walked in to the room. "Let's talk for a few minutes." She sat down on the bed waiting for Aaron to sit down. "What were you doing in the ruins?"

"I felt drawn to them."

"Why do you need to go to Lake Acuity?"

"I need to protect Uxie. It's in trouble."

Cynthia looked at him cautiously. "For some reason, I believe you and your friend."

"We're not friends."

"Well, he's downstairs eating. Come down when you're ready." Cynthia walked out of the room leaving Aaron alone on the bed.

Aaron sighed standing up and calling out his Emolga. "I could use a friend right now." The Pokémon smiled nuzzling his partner. He walked downstairs and sat at the table across from the boy who was fully dressed sitting by his Croagunk who was snacking on some Pokémon food.

"Why don't you two introduce yourselves?" Cynthia said setting a plate down for Aaron and a bowl of Pokémon food for his Emolga.

"Shawn." The boy across from the table said picking at his food.

"Aaron." He responded. "This is Emolga." He pointed to his partner who growled at Shawn.

"This is Croagunk."

"If you two are headed to the same place, maybe you should travel together." Cynthia recommended.

"Yeah, we can go together." Shawn gave Aaron a sinister look as their eyes locked.


	7. Chapter 7: Daisy

**So I don't really include Daisy in the story as much as I would like to. I figured I would have brief moments at the end of most chapters, but that hasn't been happening. This chapter is just for her, and I hope to have more like that in the future. As always, feel free to leave a review, fave, and/or follow as you see fit. Thanks for reading.**

Daisy woke up quickly getting dressed. She ran downstairs with her Combee trailing behind her. She ran into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. She grabbed a basket off the shelf as well. Daisy placed some sandwiches in the basket along with several macarons that she had made earlier in the week. She grabbed the basket and her bag sitting by the stairs and headed out the door towards the meadow. She ran to one of the clearings. "Hey, where are you?"

At that moment, the small Pokémon known as Shaymin ran out from behind the trees towards Daisy. "Shay!" It squealed happily nuzzling her leg.

"I got breakfast." Daisy knelt beside it and opened her basket. She pulled out a sandwich for Shaymin, her Combee, and for herself. Daisy spread a little honey on hers and Shaymin's sandwich; she gave Combee a few extra berries to thank it. Shaymin finished its food quickly nuzzling itself under Daisy's arm expecting attention. She smiled petting it with one hand while finishing her sandwich with the other. Once she finished, she reached into her basket and pulled out the macarons. She pulled out two for herself, two for Shaymin, and two for Combee each giving them the ones that they liked best.

Once they were finished eating, Daisy opened up her bag grabbing an old book. She flipped to the marked page showing it to Shaymin. "I finally figured out what that flower is." She pointed to the old picture which was barely visible. She reached into her bag pulling out a pink flower. "It's called a Gracidea." She held it in her hand sniffing it. "It's supposed to give you some sort of special power." She touched it to Shaymin's head watching it transform. It stood a little taller, more white in color with what looked like antlers on its head. It jumped into the sky flying around the clearing letting out excited cries while Daisy watched it smiling. Her Combee seemed eager to join in on the fun as it flew into the sky with Shaymin.

When it landed, Daisy touched Shaymin with the flower again watching it return to its normal form. It jumped on Daisy tackling her to the ground. She hugged it tightly smiling. Daisy stood up setting Shaymin down and picking up her basket; she picked up the Gracidea and put it in her bag. "I need to go pick some berries now." Daisy walked off towards the forest with Combee and Shaymin tagging along with her. She walked into the meadow looking for the trees with the freshest berries. She looked at Shaymin pulling the Gracidea from her bag. "Do you want to help me?" The Pokémon nodded its head eagerly as Daisy touched it with the flower. It flew on to one of the branches and picked a berry off the tree tossing it down to Daisy. It continued to do so while Daisy ran around with her basket trying to catch the berries. Her Combee decided to jump in knocking berries down from an adjacent tree making Daisy's job a bit more difficult as she had to run more to catch the berries. Soon enough Daisy's basket was filled. She touched Shaymin with the Gracidea once more returning it to its normal form. Daisy picked a few more herbs and flowers before walking with Shaymin back to its home. "I need to go now, but I'll have something special for you tomorrow." She hugged Shaymin tightly before walking off with Combee. As she walked, the Gracidea fell from her bag.

Daisy walked with her basket full back home dropping it off to sort later what was to be sold and what she could use. She walked to the post office and walked inside to the counter. "Any packages for me?"

"Yep." The clerk smiled handing her a box.

"Great, they finally came." Daisy smiled running back home. She walked to her room and grabbed some wrapping paper carefully wrapping up the box and tying a bow on it. _Tomorrow's going to be special._

It was later in the evening. The sun had started to set outside. "Daisy, dinner!" Her mother called up the stairs.

"Coming!" Daisy ran downstairs, washed her hands, and took her seat at the table.

Her mother finished setting down several dishes while her father took his seat at the table. "Are you excited for our trip to Johto in a couple days?" Her father asked putting some rice on his plate.

Daisy nodded her head. "I've been packing all week."

"Johto is so beautiful this time of year." Her mother reminisced.

"While we're there, can we learn how to make pokeballs?" Daisy asked. "I heard Apricorns grow really well over there."

"I don't see why not." Daisy's father smiled at his daughter. Daisy smiled starting to eat her food. She called out her Combee who started eating the dish of Pokémon food set out on the floor.

"And while we're there, I'd love to look into catching a Growlithe." Daisy's mother added in.

"We're going to be there for a little while. I don't see why we can't do all of those things." Daisy's father said. Everyone continued to eat their food.

After dinner, Daisy ran upstairs to her room. She sat down on her bed hearing a loud yelp. She jumped up and ripped off her covers seeing Shaymin. "How did you get in here?" Daisy closed the door to her room locking it. She turned around seeing the open window as well as the Gracidea flower that was under the blankets with Shaymin. It walked over to Daisy nuzzling her leg. "I missed you too, but you need to go home." Daisy grabbed the flower and touched Shaymin with it; nothing happened. "It's not working." She grabbed the old book from her back and read it briefly. "It doesn't work at night, and I don't feel comfortable getting you out of the house. I guess you're staying here tonight." The Pokémon seemed excited as it started to look around the room. It climbed into Daisy's desk chair and on to her desk. It nudged at the wrapped box sitting on it. "That's supposed to be for tomorrow." Daisy said petting Shaymin. "If you really want though, we can open it now." Shaymin pawed at the box eagerly. "Okay, we'll open it now." Daisy smiled helping Shaymin undo the bow and tear at the paper. She opened the box revealing a black and gold pokeball in a pile of tissue paper. "I saved up all my money to get it. I got one for you too." She opened her desk pulling one out for her Combee who was looking a bit jealous. "It's a luxury ball. I was hoping that you might want to be one of my partners." Daisy looked at it smiling.

Shaymin jumped off the desk knocking Daisy to the floor. It started licking her face showing her affection.

"Daisy, what are you doing in there?" Her mother rattled the doorknob.

"Nothing, mom." She turned to Shaymin. "Hide!" It crawled under the bed. Daisy opened the door for her mother.

"What's going on? I keep hearing you talking and loud thuds downstairs. Is everything okay? You and Combee are getting along okay?"

"We're fine mom. I just got Combee a luxury ball and it got a little excited." Daisy picked up one of the pokeballs off the desk and deactivated the old one before throwing it at Combee. It rattled for a few seconds before Combee came back out excited.

"Okay dear, just try to calm down. I know a lot of exciting stuff is happening right now, but it is getting late."

"Sorry, mom."

"It's okay, dear." Daisy's mom walked away allowing Daisy to close the door and lock it.

"Sorry." Daisy leaned under the bed looking at Shaymin. She pulled it out hugging it. "Do you still want to be my partner?" Daisy asked holding up the other luxury ball. Shaymin tapped the button with its paw getting sucked into it. The ball rattled for a few seconds before Shaymin emerged excitedly nuzzling Daisy. "Welcome to the team." She hugged it back.


	8. Chapter 8

Aaron and Shawn walked together in a tunnel on the way to Lake Acuity; their Pokémon walked beside them. They constantly looked over at each other not trusting the other. Their Pokémon were on guard too looking out for themselves and their partners.

"We're almost out. Better gear up." Shawn slid his mask on over his face. Aaron looked at him cautiously and pulled up the guard over his mouth and zipped his jacket. His Emolga climbed into his bag. They both walked out of the cave and were hit with an intense cold. Both boys were now trudging through the snow moving slowly with nothing else in sight. "I'm pretty sure it's this way." Shawn said pointing ahead.

"What makes you so sure?" Aaron glared at him suspiciously.

"Because I'm from Sinnoh, and I know the area a bit better than you." Shawn walked ahead recalling his Croagunk who was shaking from the cold. He held his red Power Stone tightly drawing warmth from it. Aaron decided it best to follow him seeing how low Shawn's defenses were. He followed behind for a while keeping a very careful pace. Then, Shawn stopped. He looked around very cautiously.

"What's wrong?" Aaron looked at him.

"I'm sorry." Shawn grabbed hold of his second Power Stone, a brown one, and punched the ground with his full force. Aaron lost his balance as the ground beneath him crumbled creating a rockslide, and he was caught in it. "I still can't trust you." Sean walked away from the damage which had already started to accumulate a small layer of snow which would make it seem as though nothing occurred.

Aaron punched his way out of the rocks using his Power Stone. He opened his bag and checked on his Emolga who seemed fine. "Shouldn't have trusted him." He stood up brushing off some of the snow. Then he felt a chill run down his spine. He looked at the mountain he had fallen from, a forest behind him. A blue stone door stood in front of him; it appeared to have been sealed for a very long time. He placed his hands on the door feeling an intense cold that forced him to pull his hands away and held them under his armpits to warm them up. _Something dangerous is in there, but maybe it's a way back up the mountain._ Aaron activated his power stone and pushed on the door which did not move an inch. He sighed punching through it with all of his might being hit with a freezing wind.

He had made a wide enough hole to climb through; he landed on ice. He stood up slipping a little, but able to stand. He looked at the center of the center of the room and quickly reached for his sword. He looked at his Emolga. "Get ready." Aaron tried to relax his breathing as he spoke, but the air in the room was making it difficult. "Regice." He could see a sealed door at the end of the room. "Okay, let's do this! Emolga, discharge!" The small Pokémon leapt into the air unleashing a blast of electricity that ran through the whole room. Regice's dots started lighting up as it hovered out of the ground. It looked at Aaron and his Emolga with an angry tone in its cries. Its fist began to glow as it charged at them with incredible speed. Aaron jumped to the side narrowly avoiding the attack. He tried taking a swing at Regice with his sword, but his reaction time was much slower due to the cold. He was thrown against a wall. It took him much longer to catch his breath than normal. "Emolga, shockwave." Aaron called out weakly. The Regice was hit with a blast of electricity that made it pause briefly before readying another superpower attack. Aaron activated his Power Stone encasing his sword in the special steel. He slid across the ice locking his weapon with Regice in order to protect his Emolga. He was thrown against the wall again, but this time the hit felt weaker than the first time. "Emolga, use acrobatics!" His Emolga jumped up and flew at Regice jumping at it. It tipped over on to the floor. "It's getting weaker." Aaron looked at his Emolga and ran at Regice with his sword taking a swing at it. His sword dropped to the floor not being swung fast enough again. It slid across the ice now out of his reach. He looked at the Regice who blew him away with an icy wind attack. Aaron landed on the floor one of his pokeballs fell out of his bag and slid across the floor. His Emolga skated over to it and pushed the button revealing Aaron's Qwilfish. "Rollout!" Aaron called out. His Qwilfish rolled at Regice ramming it directly. It jumped off and started rolling again using its spikes for traction on the ice as it rammed Regice again and again increasing its power with each hit. "Emolga, end this battle with iron tail!" The small Pokemon leapt into the air swinging its tail down on the defenseless Regice with all of its might. It fell to the ground fainting. Aaron walked over and picked up his sword. "Good job out there, both of you." He recalled his Qwilfish while his Emolga climbed into his bag. The sealed door opened wide. Aaron walked through breathing heavily. At the end of the corridor, he saw a small pedestal with a glowing, light blue stone embedded in it. He pulled out the stone and placed it in the socket of his glove.

"I'm coming for you, Shawn." Aaron saw a staircase in front of him and started climbing.

 _…_

Faint light could be seen from cracks in the ceiling above. A brief punch with the help of his Power Stone allowed him to burst through an old, wooden cellar door. Aaron stepped out of the tunnel. The room around him was old, dilapidated, and definitely burnt. There was an old stone statue that looked like Arceus at the front of the room; it was chipped and its once pointed edges had been rounded off. A swarm of Zubat swarmed flying past Aaron not having been disturbed in some time; they flew through holes in the walls that may have once housed stained glass windows. He shivered feeling a chill run through the room. _Need to keep moving. No time to slow down._ Aaron ran out of the building. At the entrance to the church was a gate with Officer Jenny standing nearby as a guard. Aaron could see her snowmobile nearby. He waited for her to avert her gaze and he sprinted to it jumping on top and starting it up.

"Hey, that's not yours!" She shouted.

Aaron did not look back as he sped off blowing snow behind him. Luckily, wooden signs in the ground pointed out the direction of the lake as Aaron maneuvered through the snow hoping it was not too late. Aaron arrived at the lake. Somehow, the water was as crystal clear and as liquid as water at a normal temperature. He stepped off the snowmobile and touched the water feeling that it was still cold. He looked at his new Power Stone concentrating his energy.

"Hey! Stop thief!" Officer Jenny shouted hopping off a snowmobile with another officer.

Aaron looked back at her and started shooting ice out of his hand freezing the water in front of him so that he could run across leaving Officer Jenny and her other officer behind. He walked into the cavern; it was quiet. Aaron drew his sword and his Emolga climbed out of his bag and on to his shoulder. He walked forward constantly looking around and over his empty shoulder.

"Look…out." Aaron could hear Shawn's voice faintly echo. There was no other warning a force like no other threw him against a wall and then lifted him up pulling him forward.

"We finally made it." A sadistic voice spoke. The man with aqua colored hair stepped forward smiling at Aaron. He was dangling his gold bracelet which now had all of its slots filled with Power Stones. "And I gave you a head start." He then levitated Shawn forward. "And I told you where we would meet again." He threw both boys against a wall. "I don't know why I am so generous when you squander my gestures of kindness." He put his hand on his head acting dramatic as he released his control over them. Aaron's Emolga ran forward and attacked the man with discharge. He stood there, shaking as electricity coursed through his body. He dropped to the floor. "I was not expecting that." He tried to brush off the attack still shaking slightly. "That actually had some power to it. I suppose it's time I call out my Pokémon. Lunatone, Solrock, teach that thing some manners." The two Pokémon glowed blue and then rocks shot up out of the ground throwing Aaron's Emolga against the wall.

"Hey, stop that!" Officer Jenny ran into the cave.

"Time to go." The man recalled his Pokémon. "I'll see you two at the top of Mount Coronet. With this curse broken, I have plenty of time." He teleported out of the cave.

"You two, freeze!" Officer Jenny glared at Aaron and Shawn who both passed out at the same time. She sighed to herself before calling for back up and medical attention. Aaron's Emolga climbed on to his shoulder and started nuzzling his cheek. "He'll be fine." Officer Jenny said trying to reassure the small Pokémon by petting it; Emolga growled at her until she retracted her hand. He then continued to nuzzle Aaron's cheek hoping he was okay.


End file.
